Plastic core for roll labels



Oct. 8, 1963 L. EPSTElN PLASTIC CORE FOR ROLL LABELS Filed March 22, 1962 INVENTOR LAWRENCE EPSTEIN United States Patent 0."-

Filed Mar. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 181,614 3 Claims. (Cl. 24268.5)

This invention has reference to a new and improved precision core construction for paper spools and the like, the core being operative to accommodate drive spindles within a range of diameters.

Oftentimes, where a paper roll core is to be mounted on a printing machine, slightly varying spindle diameters preclude a tight and efficient engagement of the core and the drive spindle. This difiiculty may arise due to variations within shaft tolerance ranges, variation of spindle size among manufacturers and the like.

According to this invention there is provided a cylindrical core having inwardly extending ribs. The ribs carry longitudinally extending beads along their inner end surfaces, these beads being of a smaller width than the rib thickness. The beads thus accommodate a range of drive spindle diameters by selected removal of some or all of their thickness, the core being a rigid and durable construction to accommodate removal of the bead material.

Further objects of this invention include the provision of a new and improved precision core construction: which is of a single manufactured size but can be tightly received on different spindle diameters; which is of onepiece molded plastic construction so as to be readily produced by mass production techniques; and which is of reliable and inexpensive, durable construction.

Still further objects, advantages, and novel features of this invention will become apparent in the specification and claims taken with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the precision core according to this invention, viewed from one end;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, the core being viewed from its opposite end;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view on an enlarged scale of the core end shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section view on a somewhat smaller scale, taken generally along line 4-4 in FIGURE 3; and,

FIGURE 5 is a broken-out perspective view of a typical rib construction.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a precision core 10, mounted on a drive spindle S and carrying a roll of paper P.

The core includes -a thin-walled cylinder 12 having a constant inside and outside diameter. An end wall 14, taking the form of a ring-shaped disc, is peripherally joined to one end of the cylinder 12. A plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 16 are joined to the interior wall of the cylinder 12, these ribs 16 being radially spaced with respect to one another, and terminating a uniform distance from the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 12; These ribs 16 are also joined to the end wall 14 but extend inwardly thereof, thereby providing a high degree of structural rigidity to the core 10.

The inner end surfaces 18 of the ribs 16 are flat, and carry longitudinally extending continuous beads 20 substantially throughout their length. Each head 20 is smoothly curved in cross section and has a width sub stantially less than the width of the adjacent rib end surface 18, to which it is integrally joined. The bead 20 is preferably a circular arc in cross section and is symmetrically spaced on the rib end surface 18, thereby defining a shoulder on each side of the'bead'20. Also, the

Patented Oct. 8, 1963 ends of each bead 20' opposite the end wall 14 are smoothly curved as best shown at 22 in FIGURE 5, for reasons to become apparent.

The rib ends opposite the end wall 14 have outwardly tapered or beveled surfaces 24 to facilitate initial alignment onto the spindle S, as is well known in the art.

As stated, during use of the core 10, occasions will arise Where printing machine drive spindles are often of slightly different diameter, depending upon the particular manufacturer, manufacturing tolerance ranges, wear, and the like. In order to provide a tight fit to such spindles, the effective interior diameter of the core 10, defined by the beads 20 is formed to accommodate the minimum drive spindle diameter. The bead thickness, however, accommodates a range of spindle diameters simply by removing a selected portion of the bead thickness. This is advantageously accomplished by broaching drilling, or the like, the curved bead ends 22 facilitating initial engagement of such a tool withthe core 10. Additionally, by virtue of the small cross sectional area of the beads 20 compared to the relatively thick rib construction, this material removal may be effectively accomplished simply by forcing the drive spindle into the core, thereby shaving off the beads 20, as necessary. The end wall 14 effectively offers rigidity to the ribs 16 to withstand this force on the core 10.

The core 10 is advantageously of one-piece molded plastic construction, and is thereby suitable for mass production at a relatively inexpensive cost.

From the foregoing description of the various embodi ments of this invention, it is evident that the objects of this invention, together with many practical advantages are sucessfully achieved. While preferred embodiments of my invention have been described, numerous further modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

Therefore, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Precision core of one-piece molded construction for tightly accommodating a range of spindle diameters comprising: a thin-walled cylinder having a constant inside and outside diameter; a ring-shaped end wall peripherally joined to one end of said cylinder and integral therewith; a plurality of integral radial ribs extending longitudinally of the interior wall of said cylinder, the inner free ends of said ribs terminating at a uniformly spaced radial distance from the longitudinal axis of said cylinder to define the inside diameter of the core, said ribs being joined to said ring-shaped end wall and radially extending inwardly thereof, the ends of said ribs opposite said end wall having outwardly tapered surfaces to facilitate initial alignment onto a spindle; and a longitudinally extending bead integrally joined to the inner free end surf-ace of each rib, each of said beads being of uniform size and of less width than the thickness of the adjacent inner free end surface of each rib thereby defining a shoulder thereon, each bead having a smoothly curved cross sectional configuration, whereby the effective inside diameter of the core may be enlarged by broaching removal of a selected radial portion of said beads, said core, ring-shaped end wall and ribs being of rigid and durable construction to accommodate the broaching removal of the selected radial portion of each of said beads.

2. Precision core defined in claim 1 wherein each of i sectional configuration of said head being a circular are.

3. Precision core defined in claim 1 wherein said beads terminate a short distance from the outwardly tapered surfaces, said beads being provided at said termination with smoothly curved end portions to facilitate broaching 5 engagement with the spindle following initial alignment therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Boothman et a1. Sept. 23, Smith Dec. 22, Stingle et a1. Nov. 16, Dunn May 10, Johnson Aug. 16, 

1. PRECISION CORE OF ONE-PIECE MOLDED CONSTRUCTION FOR TIGHTLY ACCOMMODATING A RANGE OF SPINDLE DIAMETERS COMPRISING: A THIN-WALLED CYLINDER HAVING A CONSTANT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE DIAMETER; A RING-SHAPED END WALL PERIPHERALLY JOINED TO ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH; A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL RADIAL RIBS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE INTERIOR WALL OF SAID CYLINDER, THE INNER FREE ENDS OF SAID RIBS TERMINATING AT A UNIFORMLY SPACED RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER TO DEFINE THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CORE, SAID RIBS BEING JOINED TO SAID RING-SHAPED END WALL AND RADIALLY EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREOF, THE ENDS OF SAID RIBS OPPOSITE SAID END WALL HAVING OUTWARDLY TAPERED SURFACES TO FACILITATE INITIAL ALIGNMENT ONTO A SPINDLE; AND A LONGITUDINALLY 